Several epidemiological analyses conducted in recent decades indicate that the long-term consumption of “red” meat processed by different ways (including smoked meat and meat as component of sausages) can be regarded as a risk factor for colon cancer (World Cancer Report 2007, zur Hausen 2012). “Red” meat is regarded as comprising beef, pork, mutton and goat meat, in contrast to “white” meat (poultry meat/fish).
Thus far, chemical carcinogenic substances being produced during roasting, grilling, barbecuing, smoking and air-drying were blamed as risk factors for cancer. However, often the fact was disregarded that the same substances are also produced in comparable concentrations during analogous ways of preparation of poultry meat/fish. Accordingly, this does not support the assumption that these chemical substances play an exclusive role as regards the development of colon cancer. Since, in addition, the current epidemiological analyses suggest that beef is the main risk factor it has been postulated that an additional species-specific—presumably infectious—factor contributes to the triggering of this type of cancer (zur Hausen, 2012). The results of the correlation of analyses of the global spreading of domesticated bovine species with the global incidence of colon cancer seem to suggest that the consumption of meat of bovine species stemming from European/Asian cattle (Bos taurus) but not from breedings of zebu, water buffalo or yak might be of importance as a main risk factor.
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